Did Krikorian really say, "Now, do you really think a guy with a name like that has a chance of ever being elected?" ?
A lot of people probably said or thought it. Yalamanchili must have thought of it. His campaign was "Vote Chili". It's not uncommon for people with long hard to spell names to just change or shorten their names rather than have to constantly spell it out & correct people's pronunciation.
So, assuming Krikorian even said it, was he racist in making such a statement? Or did Jean Schmidt's handlers know that coaxing a racism charge out of a liberal is pretty much like getting a knee jerk reaction?
FWIW, I have no love for Krikorian but he has been kinda responsible for airing some alarming fact finding about CIA operations & some hilarious legal entertainment. For the record, let it be known that I object to EVERYTHING!. Watching Sibel Edmonds try not to laugh cracks me up every time.
Full deposition here.
2 comments:
If he didn't make the gaffe, there's certainly enough prior conformity to assume he did: this is the same guy who accused Schmidt of faking a car accident — an accident with substantiated injuries — the last time he ran.
I don't think the statement was any more or less racist than random Tea Party dogwhistles, but the fact he said it on more than once occasion (once to Lane and once to the Union reps) demonstrates that it was a talking point of his. There's a difference between a flippant statement and something you use often enough to hang your hat on.
Regarding his future aspirations, I'm torn. The spectator in me wants him around just to see what he'll say next (this belief will hereinafter be referred to The Palin Factor) while the partisan hack in me makes me want him no less than three blocks away from identifying as a Democrat. Solution? Trafficant/Krikorian '12!
Krikorian's comments to some tube news crew to the effect of "I deserved that nomination" were pretty telling of his lame character. Then, again, Olberman calling him "The worst person in the world" was pretty over the top.
Traficant/Krikorian v Palin/Bachmann in '12 ?
wheeeee !!
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